Pattern maker for looms



P 6, 1952 E. KREFT EI'AL 2,610,653

PATTERN MAKER FOR LOOMS Filed July 2'7, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Ks" Q,

INVENTORS EWALD KREFT ALBERT EICHELBIRGER ATTORNEY PATTERN MAKER FOR LOOMS Filed July 27, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS 3e EWALD KREFT ALBERT EICHELBERGER ATTORNEY bers.

Patented Sept. 16, 1952 2,610,653 PATTERN MAKER Fort LooMs Ewald Kreft and Albert Eichelberger', Jennings, Mo.

Application July 27, isiaserln N6. 40,81 4- Olaims. (01. 139-66) This invention relates generally to looms and more specifically to pattern makers for powerdriven looms adapted particularly for home use, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a pattern maker for a loom of the type referred to which is of such simplified and improved construction and arrangement that it is capable of performing its intended function in an improved and high-lyefiicient manner.

Fig.- 1 is a front elevation illustrating a structure which includes the improved pattern maker of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, horizontal section taken on line 3+-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation or the structure'shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 56 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 'I-'! of Fig. 4. I

Fig. 8 is an elevational view taken on'line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on line 9-4) of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken on line lO-*I 0 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line II--|l of'Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein is shown for pure poses of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, I and 2 designate opposed, side frame members of a 100m structure A. The frame members I and 2 may have any desired shape, such for instance, as that shown in Fig. 2, and said frame members are provided with feet por-' tions' which aid in the support of said frame mem- Each of the opposed frame members I and 2 has secured thereto a pair of vertically disposed members 3 whichare spaced apart as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3-to provide aguideway 4 therebetween, these pairs of members 3 being provided at their upper ends with horizontal extensions 3 which are secured to a horizontal arch member 5 that is located at the top of the structure A and extends throughout the width of said structure.

Secured to the opposed frame members at the inner faces thereof is a pair of alined guide members Ii, there being one of these guide members secured to each opposed framemember and each uide member having formed therein a plura ity 2 of guldeways 1 (Fig. 3') Supported by the guide members 6' for vertical guided movement with re spect thereto is a plurality of harness frames 8,

the opposite edge portions of said harness frames being extended into the guideways I of the guide members 6 so as to provide for the vertical guided movement referred to. The harness frames" are of conventional construction and are provided with the usual heddles 9. It is lmportant'to note that each harness frame is provided at its opp'o site ends with extensions I0 which are secured to said harness frames at the tops thereo! extend outwardly therefrom.

Disposed in the guideways 4 provided at the outer faces of the opposed frame members I and 2 is a pair of vertically extended racks II, there being one rack ateach side of the structureA and each rack being provided with teeth only at its lower portion. At its upper'end each rack is provided with an abutment I2 which is fixed thereto, and, as will presently appear herein,'saidabutments of the opposed racks". are adapted to engage the extensions I0 which are carried by the harness frames at the tops of the opposite end portions thereof. The opposed frame members I and 2 support for rotation a shaft I3 at the opposite ends of which mutilated gear wheels I4 are fixedly mounted, the'teeth of said gear wheels being adapted to mesh with the teeth-0t the racks I I. The shaft I3 has fixedly mounted thereon a sprocket Wheel I5 over which a sprocket chain I6 operates, said sprocket chain operating also over a sprocket wheel H which is driven by a motor [8 through the instrumentality' of the gearing of a suitable speed reduction mechanism- IB (Fig. 1)

From the foregoing it is plain that rotation of the shaft I3 by the motor I8 will result inthe racks ll being elevated by the mutilated gear wheels I4. Also, as a result of such elevation of the racks II the abutments [2 on said racks, which contact with the extensions I0 carried by the harness frames 8, will elevate to their raised positions any of such harness frames which are in their lowered positions, the upward movement of the racks continuing until the toothed portions of the mutilated gear wheels I4 pass out of mesh with the teeth of the racks I I, whereupon the racks I I and, also, those harness frames, which are not held in their elevated positions'by mechanism now to be described, will 'move down-'- wardly.

' Secured by brackets 20 to the arch member 5 is a channel 'shaped guide structure 2| in which is disposed for sliding movement a rack 22-, and

associated with said rack so that its teeth mesh with the teeth of said rack is a pinion 23. The pinion 23 is supported by a shaft 24 which in turn is supported by a member 25. The member 25 includes a horizontal base portion 28 which is secured by bolts 28 to the arch member 5, a portion 21 which projects upwardly from said base portion, an intermediate portion 28, a top portion 29 which extends in one direction from said portion 21, and a top portion 30 which extends from said portion 21 in the opposite direction from said portion 21 (Fig. 5). Additionally, a plate 3| is secured to the end faces of the portions 28 and 29 by suitable fastening devices 32. V v

The pinion 23 is provided with a hub portion 23' in which a cavity 33 is formed- (Fig.- 7)-. and disposed in said cavity is a ratchet wheel 34 which is mounted on and is fixed to the shaft 24. The hub 23' of the pinion 23 is provided with opposed openings inwhich pawls 35 are mounted, said pawls being urged by coil springs 38 into engagement with the toothed, circumferential face of said ratchet wheel, and said coil springs being inter'posed between said pawls and set screws 3'! which are screwed into the outer portions of the pawl openings of the hub portion of the pinion 23. The rack 22 has connected thereto at one of its ends a flexible element 38 which passes over a roller 39 located at the left-hand end of the arch member 5, as that arch member is illustrated in Fig. 1, and which extends from said roller to the upper portion of the rack II at the corresponding side of the apparatus A to which rack the end of said flexible element is secured. In like manner the rack 22 has secured to its opposite end a flexible element 40 which passes over a roller 4| at the right-hand end of the arch member, and about a roller 42 which is supported by the vertical members 3 at the righthand side of the apparatus A as said apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 1, the end of said flexible element being secured to the upper portion of the rack II at the corresponding side of the apparatus A. Because'of the arrangement just described upward movement of the racks II will cause the rack 22 to be moved to the right in Fig. l by the flexible element 40, While downward movement of said racks II will cause the rack 22 to be moved to the left in Fig. 1 by the flexible element 38. Thus, on upward movement of the racks and of the harness frames 8, rotary motion will be imparted by the pawl 35 of the hub portion of the gear wheel 23 to the ratchet wheel and to the shaft 24, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. '7, whileon downward movement of said racks H and said harness frames 8, the pawls 35 will slide idly over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 34 without imparting rotary rotation to said ratchet wheel or to the shaft 24 to which it is fixed.

Detachably secured to each harness frame 8 and extended upwardly therefrom is a rod 43, each of said rods being notched to provide a shoulder 44 which serves a function to be hereinafter set forth. The rods 43 are extended through alined apertures formed through the base portion 28 and the top portion 30 of the member 25 whereby said rods are guided for vertical movement with the harness frames 8. The means of attaching the rods 43 to the harness frames 8 comprises inverted U-shaped elements 45 which embrace top portions of the harness frames and are secured thereto with the topbridge portions of said elements spaced upwardly from the top edges of the harness frames. The bridge portion of each U- shaped element is provided with an opening 48 shaped as shown in Fig. 6, that is to say, the opening of each U-shaped element includes a circular portion 460. and a slot portion 46b which communicate with each other. Each rod 43 is provided with a pair of opposed notches 43' which are located immediately above the lower end of the rod so that the portion of the rod beneath the notches is circular in cross-section while the portion of the rod between the notches has the shape shown at 43a in Fig. 6. In applying the rods 43 to the harness frames 8 the circular bottom portions of the rods are passed downwardly through the circular portions 46a of the openings 46 and the rods are then shifted longitudinally of the openings .45 to cause the rod portions 43a to be disposed in the slot portions 432) of said openings so that opposed portions of the bridge portions of the U-shaped elements are disposed in the notches of the rods.

The portion 21 and the plate 3| of the member 25 are provided with pairs of horizontally alined openings 41, each related pair of said openings being alined with one of the rods 43. Each related pair of openings 41 supports a structure 48 (Figs. 9 and 10) which includes a rod 49 that is provided with a portion 49' at one end which is of increased diameter, said portion 49 being disposed in an opening 41 of the portion 21 of the member 25 and being extended outwardly therefrom. The opposite end portion of the rod 49 telescopes within a tubular rear portion 58 of an element 58, the forward portion of said element being in the form of a solid pin 50a. The element 50 is provided with an annular flange 5| which is adapted to abut against the rear face of the plate 3|, and a coil spring 52 is interposed between the forward end of the rod 49 and the base of the cavity within the tubular portion 50 of the element 50 so as to normally retain said flange 5| in contact with the rear face of the plate 3|. Additionally, the rod 49 is provided with an embracing washer 53 which is engaged by a coil spring 54 that embraces said rod 49, the opposite end of said coil spring engaging the inner face of the portion 2! of the member 25, and this spring 54 also tends to normally force the flange of the element 50 against the rear face of the plate 3| by urging the washer 5| against said flange. A pin 55 is extended through the rod 49 and serves to limit movement by the coil spring 54 of the washer 53 in a left-hand direction in Figs. 9 and 10. The opposite end portions of the pin 55 extend slight distances beyond the face of the rod 49 and the wall of the tubular portion of the element 50 is provided with opposed slots 56 which accommodate the opposed, extended end portions of the pin 55 when relative movement is produced between the rod 49 and the element 50, as will be presently explained herein.

The structure of the present invention includes a pattern guide which is designated generally by the reference character 51. This pattern guide comprises a pair of plates 58 which are maintained in spaced relation by a pair of spacers 59 that are interposed between the plates at opposite ends of said plates, the plates and spacers being secured together by fastening devices 60. The plates 58 are provided with a plurality of vertically disposed, elongated slots 6|, there being one slot for each structure 48 and each rod 43 and the respective slots 6| being alined with the structure 48 and rod 43 to which they are related (Fig. 4). The rearmost of the plates 58 has secured thereto an arm 62 which extends rearnames:

wardly from 1 the structure comprised or said spaced plates 58. The rear portion of the arm is supported by an upstanding bracket 63 which is fixedlymounted on the arch member 5, said.

therein which is alined with a similar opening,

formed through the arm. These openings receive an eccentrically disposed shaft portion 61 of a crank arm 68 which is arranged at an end of the shaft 24 (Fig. 4) Also, the arm 62 has attached thereto a coil spring 69 which tends to draw said arm rearwardly, said coil spring 69 being attached at its opposite end to a stationary part (not shown) of the structure .A. The pattern Ii of the improved pattern maker of this invention comprises a strip of fiber, or other suitable material which is of annular formation and is provided with a plurality of apertures which serve a function to be hereinafter set forth. The pattern passes through the space between the plates 58 and between the spacers 59 at the opposite ends of said plates, said pattern resting at its bottom on the arch member 5.

In the operation of the pattern makerof the present invention as part of a loom, the harness frames 8 are moved upwardly and move downwardly, as has been previouslyexplained, for a purpose which is well known to persons familiar with the art to which this invention relates, and the locations of the apertures in the pattern 10 determine which of the harness frames will be held in elevated positions and which of said harness frames shall be permitted to immediately move downwardly with the racks ll. It is important to note that the pattern 10 fits tightly enough between the plates 58 of the pattern guide 51 so that said pattern may move with said plates of the pattern guide, yet not so tight that said pattern may not move with respect to said spaced plates of said pattern guide.

When the harness frames 8 are being moved upwardly in the manner previously explained herein by the racks H, the rack 22 rotates the pinion 23 and the shaft 24 is rotated through the instrumentality of the ratchet 34 and the pawls 35. Such rotation of the shaft 24 causes the spaced plates 58 of the pattern guide 51 to be subjected to circular movement because of the cooperation between the crank portion 6'! of the shaft 24 and the arm 62 of the pattern guide. As the spaced plates of the pattern guide move up wardly, any of the pins 50a which extend into apertures of the pattern 10 will hold the pattern stationary so that during such upward movement of the spaced plates of the pattern guide said spaced plates move with respect to the pattern. However, as the top of the stroke of the spaced plates of the pattern guide is reached the pattern has moved a sufficient distance away from'the member to free the pattern from pins 5011 which were extended into apertures of said pattern, and thereafter during forward and downward portions of the stroke of the pattern guide the pattern moves with the spaced plates of said pattern guide. Thus, the action of the pattern 10 being held by pins a during upward movement of the pattern guide 51 caused the pattern to be shifted with respect to the spaced plates 58 of the pattern guide so as to present the next row of apertures of the pattern in operative position.

The harness frames 8 were being elevated during the movement of the pattern guide just described, and asthe spaced plates tr the? pattern guide continue their movement th harness frames reach their uppermost positions; The

pattern 10 then is moved into its operative posie tion by the pattern guide and any of the pinsbfla "of the structures 48' which are alined with apertures in the pattern will enter said aperturesas is shown in Fig. 10, whereby the portions 48" of said structures 48 will be so positioned that they will not engage the shoulders 44 of the. related rods 43, and the harness frames fl'with which I said related rods are associated will immediately drop downwardly. However, any of thepins 50a of structures 48 which contact with imperforate portions of the pattern will be held by'said imperforate pattern-portions in the positionshown in Fig. 9 where the portions 49 of said structures 48 will engage the shouldersof the related rods 43 and thereby. retain said related rods'and the harness frames associated therewith in elevated positions.

It is important to note that the rack 22, "the pinion 23, and the ratchet and pawl struc'zture 34-35, drive the shaft 24 only while the harness frames 8 are moving upwardly. .When' the harness frames have reached their uppermost position the crank 61 of the shaft 24 is" in' such position that coil spring 69Lmay exert a pull on the pattern guide arm 62 which will complete thestroke of the pattern guide, the pawls 35 during this portion of the stroke of-the pattern guide sliding idly over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 34 because the rack 22 and the pinion 23 at this time are being moved in the reverse di rection by the flexible element 38; Thus, in a complete stroke of the pattern maker of this invention the harness frames 8 are elevated and the'pattern 10 is subjected to agfeeding operation relative to the pattern guide 51', and when the harness frames reach their uppermost positions certain of said harness frames are latched in their uppermost positions while others of said harness frames drop downwardly for a purpose which is obvious to persons familiar with the art to which this invention relates.

If desired, the pattern may be reversed so'that it will be operated in the opposite direction and thereby change the fabric pattern produced with the aid of the pattern. r

We claim:

1. A pattern maker for a loom comprising a plurality of harness frames, means for movin said harness frames upwardly, a plurality of elements attached to said harness frames, there being'one of said elements associated with each of said harness-frames, a plurality of structures related to said plurality of elements, each of said elements having one of said structures related thereto, a shoulder formed on each of said elements which is adapted to be engaged by a portion of the related structure so as to retain the element and its associated harness frame in an elevated position, a circular pattern for controlling actuation of said plurality of structures, a pattern guide, and means for subjecting said pattern guide to movement which feeds said pattern intermittently, the last-mentioned means comprising a shaft having a crank at an end thereof which operatively engages a portion of said pattern guide, and means for rotating said shaft in response to movement of said harness frames.

2. A pattern maker for a loom comprising a plurality of harness frames, means for moving said harness frames upwardly, a plurality of elements attached to said harness frames, there being one of said elementsv associated witheach of said harness frames, a pluralityof structures related to said plurality of elements, each of said elements having one of said structures related thereto, a shoulder formed on each of said elements which is adapted to be engaged by a portion of the related structure so as to retain the element and its associated harness frame in an elevated position, a circular pattern for controlling actuation of said plurality of structures, a pattern guide, and means for subjecting said pattern guide to movement which feeds said pattern intermittently, the last-mentioned means comprising'a shaft having a crank at an end thereof which operatively engages a portion of said pattern guide, and means comprising a rack and pinion for rotating said shaft in response to movement of said harness frames.

3. A pattern maker for a loom comprising a plurality of harness frames, means for moving said harness frames upwardly, a plurality of elements attached to said harness frames, there being one of said elements associated with each of said harness frames, a plurality of structures related to said plurality of elements, each of said elements having one of said structures related thereto, a shoulder formed on each of said elements which is adapted to be engaged by a portion of the related structure so as to retain the element and its associated harness frame in an elevated position, a circular pattern for controlling actuation of said plurality of structures, a pattern guide. and means for subjecting said pattern guide to movement which feeds said pattern intermittently, the last-mentioned means comprising a shaft having a crank at an end thereof which operatively engages a portion of said pattern guide, and means comprising a; rack and pinion and a ratchet structure for rotating said shaft in response to movement of said harness frames in one direction.

4. A pattern maker for a loom comprising a plurality of harness frames, means for moving said harness frames upwardly, a plurality of elements attached to said harness frames, there being one of said elements associated with each of said harness frames, a plurality ofstructures related to said plurality of elements, each of said elements having one of said structures related thereto, a shoulder formed on each of said elements which is adapted to be engaged by a portion of the related structure so as to retain the element and its associated harness frame in an elevated position; a circular pattemfor-controlling actuation of said plurality of structures, a pattern guide, and means for subjecting said pattern guide to movement which feeds said pattern intermittently, the last-mentioned means comprising a shaft having a crank at an end thereof which operatively engages a portion of said pattern guide, and means comprising a rack and pinion and a ratchet structure for rotating said shaft in response to movement of said harness frames in an upward direction.

5. In combination with a loom having a plurality of vertically movable heddle harness frames and a means for raising frames at times, a pattern'selector, comprising, a base portion, a vertical rod secured to each of said harness frames and extending adjacent said base portion, a notch in each of said vertical rods, a horizontal shaft pin slidably mounted in said base portion and adjacent each of said vertical rods; each of said horizontal shaft pins capable of engaging the notch in the vertical shaft adjacent to it when it is in a rear sliding position and said vertical shaft is in an elevated position, a spring means for yieldingly holding each of said shaft pins in a forward position, a shaft eccentrically rotatably mounted on said base portion, an arm on said shaft, a plate member on said arm and forward of said shaft pins, a vertical opening in said plate member forward of each of said shaft pins, a perforated member slidably mounted on said plate member and extending over said vertical openings capable of progressively permitting different of said shaft pins to extend through its perforations and assume forward positions as it moves relative to said plate, and a means for rotating said eccentrically mounted shaft when the harness frames are moved to an elevated position.

EWALD KREFI. ALBERT EICHELBERGER REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 987,086 Levy Mar. 14, 1911 1,064,494 Lacey June 10, 1913 1,102,826 Turlur July 7, 1914 1,177,343 Levy Mar. 28, 1916 2,204,891 Hamilton June 18, 1940 2,305,330 Turner Dec. 15, 1942' 

